This was an exciting weekend in sports, especially with the Hall of Fame events that took place. Learning how different athletes got to be in the position they're in and how hard they had to work to get there motivates me to keep going in my pursuits and to not give up at the first sign of difficulty.

Out of the 7 legends presented into the Class of 2014 Pro-football Hall of Fame, Michael Strahan's story stood out the most, simply because of how closely I relate. Throughout his career, he was never truly satisfied with where he was. Every move he made was a result of moving to places he didn't necessarily want to go to and trusting the advice his father gave him. When he initially moved to Texas, he didn't like it. When he moved to New York, it was too cold. In California, taking into account all his injuries up to that point he was content with his decision to take a different route that had little to do with his athletic abilities. However, there were people like his dad in his corner who knew there was more unrealized potential. It was because of that support that he returned to the game, have doors to opportunities he couldn't even phantom, and was able reach phenomenal milestones in his career.

Like Strahan, I'm at place now where I've had time to get my thoughts together, refocus, and ready to get back in the game. However, before I reached this point of arrival (even though I have yet to arrive), I had to be taught a few valuable life lessons. Sometimes we have to be where we don't want to be to get to where we need to go. We may not always agree with the ever-changing situations and circumstances that throw lemons our way, but there is always a reason for it all. On our respective paths, we are also blessed with a support system of people who are there to help guide us into our destiny.

Trusting the process, as well as the people who are invested in seeing me achieve great things, is a lesson I'm constantly re-learning. Each time I'm faced with the lesson, I am reminded to be present and to be thankful for the individuals God has strategically positioned in my life, because my placement and their influence has a purpose that works together in ways I may not always immediately recognize.

On this Monday, the day that sets the tone for the rest of the week, go forth and conquer, not because it's recommended, but because you've been given another opportunity to do so. Huge congratulations to Michael Strahan, as well as Ray Guy, Derrick Brooks, Andre Reed, Aeneas Williams, Walter Jones, and Claude Humphrey, whose dedication, perseverance and overall contribution respectfully earned their way into the Hall of Fame. An accomplishment such as this is one that generations of athletes and non-athletes alike will be inspired by on so many different levels.

Today, 7 legendary athletes were enshrined into Pro-Football's Hall of Fame Class of 2014. Tomorrow is the unofficial kick-off for the 2014 pre-season, opening with the HoF Game, Buffalo Bills vs. the New York Giants. I guess it's safe to say: FOOTBALL'S BACK! Even though regular season is not for another month, fans from all over, including myself, have been anxiously awaiting for this very moment to arrive. At last, the empty spaces of Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons will soon fill up with football mayhem again.

Honestly, I don't usually pay much attention to what's happening on the field until regular season , because it's hard to make a far-off prediction based pre-season alone, but I plan to keep a close(r) eye this time around. So far, I've noted that head coach, Jason Garrett seems to be focusing on an improved strategy for our offensive line during training camp, as well as making room for new defensive linemen, so that's a plus. All in all, I certainly hope Dallas will get their act together. Despite the countless upsets of last season that we won't discuss and the continuum of challenges they may very well face as a team this year, I'm anticipating my boys putting in major work this season, especially since they've already decided to send out play off tickets, according to CBS Sports.

I missed most of NBA's Draft Day back in June, but at that point, I hadn't decided on whether or not I was going to add sports to the eclectic mix or not. The news about Paul George's injury broke a few hours ago, but that only brings up yet another topic that I don't wish to discuss. From here on out, I'll be keeping up with headlines and games in the professional sports realm, namely in football, swimming, and basketball, as much as I possibly can and incorporating it into my blog (once regular season officially begins). Hopefully, by then, I'll have a consistent blog schedule to abide by for the 'Sports' category. Even though things are starting to get hectic in my own life, balance is key.